Partly prompted by California's zero emission standards, practically every American and European car manufacturer was involved in researching and designing electric cars in the early 1990s.
Electric cars were considered to have the advantage of reducing air pollution and reducing noise.
The concept had been around for a long time, but there were still many problems to be addressed.
The most difficult technical problem involves the battery.
A conventional storage battery is an inefficient form of propulsion, but more efficient batteries are too heavy and take up too much space leaving at most room for two persons in a vehicle.
Other major practical drawbacks of electric cars are the limited distance that can be traveled before recharging is required, usually under 90 miles, and the current expense of the vehicle, approximately twice the cost of a fuel-driven car.
Ironically, many environmentalists claim that use of electric cars will not solve pollution problems, but merely transfer the source of the problem from the vehicles themselves to electric power stations.
Research efforts have concentrated on designing batteries which would increase speed, power, and driving range.
Research is also ongoing on the shape of the vehicle to provide maximum comfort and the ability to carry several passengers or equipment.
As of the early 1990s, an electric car could probably only serve as a second car used for short trips in the city.
Designers have also been experimenting with hybrid cars that combine fossil fuel or hydrogen with electric power.
